My love of reading started early. Even as a baby, I loved books. This photo was taken when my family was taking a road trip to Texas. Throw me in the back of the station wagon with some blankets and books, and I was good as gold for the entire 12-hour drive.
Yeah, let's face it, I was a nerd. I never traveled anywhere without two books. I couldn't just take one. What if I finished it? Being stuck without something to read was like being stuck with a chronic toothache--painful and unnecessary. The few times I did manage to read through my books on vacations or long car trips, I was usually able to talk Mom and Dad into buying me another one to fill the void. They didn't often say no to buying me books. They were my enablers, and I give them a lot of credit for helping shape me into the reader and writer that I am today.
I'll be the first to admit, I have a helluva lot of books. I won't say I have too many, because I really don't believe that is possible. Yes, it has been a pain in the ass to box them up and move them, but they are worth every muscle I've ever pulled. I aspire to one day have a library, complete with beautiful built-in bookshelves to hold my collection.
When I found out I was pregnant with Cadence, the first thing I did was start a collection for her. I scoured bookstores and Ebay, and was able to fill an entire bookshelf before she was even born. In today's world of text messaging and televisions and Ipods, it is more important than ever to instill the value of reading and writing to our children. I was fortunate enough to be able to grow up in an environment that nurtured my creativity, and my goal is to pass along the same values to my daughter. Up to now, she has been too busy to actually sit still long enough for me to read her an entire book, but finally she is starting to realize that there is more to these books than just pretty pictures to look at. These days, she is obsessed with them, and will go back and forth to her shelf all day long grabbing books if I let her.
That's my girl.
Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my fellow word lovers. May we all pass along our passion and inspire a new generation of readers.
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